Fear of going to the dentist is not uncommon and can affect adults and children alike. As a parent, it is your responsibility to help keep your child’s mouth healthy and keeping regular appointments with your dentist is an important part of good oral hygiene. Fortunately, there are some techniques and tricks to help keep your child calm in the dentist chair so they can get the necessary attention from the dentist.

Creating positive perception of the dentist

Whether you like it or not, your child watches you carefully to find clues on how to interact in the world. If you have a positive or negative view of the dentist, chances are your child will pick up on it. There are a few actions you can intentionally do to show your child that the dentist is good and helpful for them so they can stay healthy.

Start young

As soon as your child starts cutting teeth, it is a good idea to make a dentist appointment. If your child starts going to regular appointments at a young age, they will have many positive experiences to pull from if ever they start to feel hesitant about going to the dentist.

Brush your teeth together

Take time to brush your teeth with your child. Routinely brushing your teeth twice a day will establish good habits as well as reinforce the importance of brushing your teeth.

Play pretend

If your child has a dentist appointment coming up, playing through what would happen at the dentist may help your child to realize there is nothing to worry about. You can pretend to be the dentist, asking your child to open wide as you inspect their teeth. Giving a positive and enthusiastic report can help your child feel at ease and  ready to go to the dentist for real.

Schedule a consultation first

If your child is worried about going to the dentist for the first time or if you recently changed to a new dentist, it can be very helpful to schedule a consultation first before the appointment. Having your child walk in, sit in the waiting room, meet the staff and dentist without the fear of having to have an examination can ease your child’s mind. Knowing what to expect can make the entire situation less scary.

Sedation

If your child can not relax at the dentist no matter the amount of calm and encouraging support your offer, sedation can be an option for the more severe cases of dental anxiety. If your child has sensory sensitivities, high anxiety, or has had a bad experience at the dentist before, you may ask the dentist if they will use nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to help your child relax while in the chair.

If you live in St. Augustine, FL, check out our kid-friendly environment at Dental Remedies today.